Office Jobs Bad for Your Leg’s Arteries

Turns out sitting for hours at a time is pretty bad for the blood flow to your leg arteries, but it can be reversed, according to a study by Indiana University.

“When people sit, slack muscles do not contract to effectively pump blood to the heart. Blood can pool in the legs and affect the endothelial function of arteries, or the ability of blood vessels to expand from increased blood flow,” according to the study.

Being stationary in a chair is associated with an increase in risk factors such as high cholesterol levels.

The researchers showed that during a three hour period blood flow to the main leg artery for impaired by 50 percent after just one hour.

However the artery function of the study participants who walked for five minutes each hour remained normal.

The take away is that if your job is desk bound it’s a smart idea to take a five minute break every hour and go for a walk.